TyreSure
Tyre Pressure Monitoring System
available from www.dcdezign.com

The T.P.M.S system constantly monitors tyre pressure and temperature. The system alerts the driver when tyre pressure or tyre temperatures are abnormal. It is totally wireless and CE Certified.

 

In the USA T.P.M.S is required to be fitted by law on new vehicles from September 2007. Many European vehicles already have this system installed. It saves fuel, it saves tyre wear, it saves lives!

Features
System opeates 24hr - 365 days - 7 year battery life
No need to check tyre pressures
System alerts driver within 3 seconds of abnormal pressure or temperature

Benefits
Better fuel consumption ... saves money
Normal tyre wear ... saves money
No low pressure tyre failure ... saves lives

TyreSure produce the latest in tyre monitoring for not just cars, but also motorbikes, buses and lorries! The are easy to fit and have a digital display which constantly shows the pressure of each individual wheel. The ultimate in wheel safety systems!

Installation Guide

This is a job that's very simple but will need a professional tyre fitter. Should take about 20 mintues for the monitor depending on where you fit it and around 90 minutes at the tyre fitters.

The TyreSure comes with all you need, other than a tyre fitter, to fit the system. The Box has the wireless Receiver and Display unit, two squares of Velcro for fixing, Power connection for Cigarette Lighter, 4 wireless transmitter sensor, 4 tyre valves, 5 screws and one comprehensive manual. You can also purchase a windshield holder if you prefer.

This guide covers the basic install and our views on the product, if you choose to purchase this product, please read the guidelines on usage supplied.

The manual advises to fit the receiver first, so we decided to follow the advice and fit it to our Esprit before going to the tyre fitters. The device comes with a power cord fitted with a cigarette adaptor on the end, which we used, but the manual does show you how to strip the wire and connect to your cars wiring, most likely the stereo systems wiring. Luckily for us we had a spare socket behind our stereo plate, we installed a 3-socket adaptor sometime ago.

After fitting the power connection, we fed the cable under the dash and pulled it through under our oil pressure gauge. The receiver then just plugs in. The kit comes with 2 velcro pads, to you can attach it anywhere you wish. It's probably worth taking a little more time deciding the best place to located the receiver. Once the ignition is turned on, the receiver lights up, showing the pressure value (PSI) and - - - for each tyre, as there's not reading yet, as we haven't fitted the sensors yet.. Once this is done it's time to fit the sensors at an experience tyre fitters.

We returned to Premier Tyres & Exhausts in Bedford to get the sensors fitted. We've used them before to fit Esprit Tyres and have been very impressed by the service and care taken. They are used to fitting low profile tyres to expensive wheels; we saw a set of 22" rims there with low profile tyres on, so our 17" and 18" alloys shouldn't be a problem.

The tyres will need to be removed completely to fit the sensors. Once the tyre is removed the old valve needs removing and the new one fitted.

Then the sensor is screwed into the valve, flush to the wheel. Each sensor has either RF, RR, LR LF on them, you'll need to fit the correct sensor to the correct wheel; so the receiver picks up the correct reading on the display for the correct tire. This way, if you have a problem you can address the correct wheel and not have to check every tyre. As the new valves are alloy, there is a chance of corrosion, so Premier added some copperslip to the value cap to stop it sticking over time.

As the sensor has been added to the wheel, they will need to be balanced before being put back on the Esprit.

Once the wheels are all back on, we turned the ignition on and waited. Slowly, one by one readings appeared on the display in PSI. The display can be set-up to read in PSI, kPa or Bar and the temperature can be displayed in °F or °C. You can also change the display from pressure to temperature. You can set-up high and low pressure and temperature warnings (we left it on the factory presets) by using the display units set-up functions. On the temperture or pressure reaching any of the pre-sets the system will sound an alarm and the reading will turn red to inform you which tyre has a problem.

For Esprit Tyre pressures see here.

For Esprit wheel nut torques see here.

Verdict

This device is a great idea, especially for a supercar. Remember the final run of Esprits for the US market had a system fitted (smarttyre) at standard. Most Esprits spend most of their time locked up and are brought out to play at weekends. Most owners probably don't check their tyre pressures after not using the car for a while, then go out and have some fast fun in a powerful vehicle. Having all the tyres at the correct pressure and temperature is more of a safety requirement on this type of car than your average run-around. Add in the usual advantages of Better fuel consumption ... saves money, Normal tyre wear ... saves money, No low pressure tyre failure ... saves lives and you've got a system that could be worth it's weight in Gold.

We believe this system to be of value to the Esprit and worth fitting. The cost isn't particularly cheap and it's the only reason not to fit it. You're looking at just over £200 depending on how much your tyre fitter charges you. We think every Esprit should have one fitted eventually, it's up to you how soon.

Purchasing

Lotus Esprit World has search for the best price we could find for the TyreSure. DCDezign.com currently have it available for £165.05 plus delivery which we were unable to beat anywhere. Ordering was simple and delivery was quick. We would advise using DCDezign for purchasing. Link for the TyreSure is here.

This mod was performed by Lotus Esprit World on their 1992 SE

If you have any comments, feel free to e-mail me with at admin@lotusespritworld.com